Daily Times

Pakistan’s history, spanning over 74 years, sees only two names whose personality has left perennial impression on our society, motivating people to speak, to live and to move forward. One of them is the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammd Ali Jinnah who undertook untiring efforts to materialize the dream of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent. But after the establishment of Pakistan, he didn’t last long. Had he been alive a little longer, the political map of Pakistan would perhaps have been different from what we see today.

The other personality is the founder of PPP, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who won the heart man in the street. He made the masses aware of their rights, enthusing them to get their rightful place in the polity.

Bhutto was born in a political family. His father, Shahnawaz Bhutto was dewan of Junagadh, a princely state in Gujarat. Detractors of Bhutto often object to his political rearing in the regime of Ayub Khan, a military dictator. Without Ayub, there would be no Bhutto, it is said.

However, reality is quite contrary to it. His father was the dewan of a princely state. Bhutto, a law graduate, had such a fascinating personality that he didn’t need any political chaperone. Like a spring making its own channel, Bhutto only started political journey during Ayub era. Then he took up his solo flight.

Bhutto eternalized his name by giving Pakistan a unanimous constitution. As a proponent of Pakistani federation, he didn’t agree on the Six Points of Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman. Today many people take the credit of nuclear program of Pakistan and nuclear tests, but it was Bhutto who laid the foundation of this program. When he started nuclear program, Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, visiting Pakistan on a special tour, threatened Bhutto to make ‘a horrible example of him’ if he didn’t disband Pakistan’s nuclear program. Spurning US threat, Bhutto gave Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan his full support to complete the programme. He uttered a momentous statement: “We (Pakistan) will eat grass, even go hungry, but we will get one of our own (Atom bomb)…. We have no other choice!”

History bore witness to the veracity of his claim. A country which couldn’t make even a needle became a nuclear power. It was unpardonable insolence in the eyes of America. His other massive achievement was to hold the 2nd summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Lahore. It was meant to keep the Muslim Ummah united. In this historic summit, the troika comprising of Colonel Gaddafi, Shah Faisal and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto emerged as a new leadership of Muslim Ummah. America and its allies didn’t like it. So, these three leaders had to taste unnatural deaths.

A glance at Bhutto government (1971-77) shows that he executed so much work that the subsequent governments couldn’t do a whiff of them. When he took to office after the fall of Dhaka, the first challenge was to bring back thousands of POWs from Indian jails. He did so through his uncanny diplomatic skills.

Bhutto raised the slogan of ‘roti, kapda and makaan’(food, clothes and shelter) which enthralled the poor masses of Pakistan. Though subsequently, this slogan became a joke for PPP but it gave the poor man sense of protection. He learnt that it was his fundamental right and duty of the state to fulfill such needs. Bhutto also nationalized industries and intuitions, snatching them from mighty capitalists, harnessing them for public welfare.After nationalization, common man was able to admit his children to such expensive education institutions that he couldn’t dream of doing so when they were run in private ownership. Doors of these institutions were opened for poor students.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced land reforms. He provided economical transport for the poor, established healthcare centers in the rural areas and allocated a share in the budget to the poor. He introduced Identity Card for the citizens of Pakistan to give them identity. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto underlined Kashmir issue in the UN.

It is now 42 years since Bhutto rested in peace, but his name still echoes in Pakistan’s politics loud and clear. Without his name, PPP couldn’t win elections or establish government in Sindh. Bhutto enthusiast, commonly known as ‘jiala’, still has unfailing love and unwavering confidence in him. It is miracle of Bhuttoism that PPP has made three governments in Islamabad. It has been ruling Sindh for thirty out of forty years. It is still a popular party in Sindh and one of three big parties of Pakistan. If present PPP leadership wants to make it a party of mill workers, laborers, farmers, students and common populace, it will have to follow the footsteps of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.